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It’s a busy week at the General Assembly as the crossover deadline approaches this Thursday. As legislators try to push their bills through by the deadline, there are a number of bills that will have a huge impact on our air, water, and natural places.
A bill that would roll back the Jordan Lake Rules, S515, will come up in the Senate on Wednesday or Thursday. The bill is a move in the wrong direction for the conservation of Lake Jordan. Cleanup efforts at the lake have already been delayed after legislative battles in 2010 and 2012, and the passage of this bill would only further delay efforts. Additionally, this bill seeks to focus on the treatment of pollution, rather than controlling the sources of pollution. This isn’t just a delay tactic that kicks the can down the road, but it completely repeals the Jordan Lake Rules and puts nothing in its place other than a legislative study. It could take years to develop a new set of rules, while current efforts to clean up the lake are halted.

By John Murawski — jmurawski@newsobserver.com
To date, 80 North Carolina residents have squeezed their savings for the bragging right of owning the Tesla Model S electric car, some paying more than $100,000 for their g-force ride, but they may be among the last.
A legislative proposal, backed by the N.C. Automobile Dealers Association, would make it illegal for Tesla, or any other car maker, to bypass dealerships and sell directly in the state. The proposal cuts at the heart of Tesla’s business model: selling luxury cars over the phone or Internet and then delivering them to the front door of high-net-worth customers.
Still, the proposal was unanimously approved by the state Senate’s Commerce Committee on Thursday, despite concerns about the state dictating who should be allowed to sell an automobile. North Carolina is the latest forum for the clash as auto dealers around the country have mobilized, mostly without success, in legislatures and in the courts to block Tesla’s direct car sales.
Click here to read the full story at the News & Observer's website.